This isn't really makeup or beauty-related. I just felt the need to write this in.
About 2 nights ago I was rushed to the hospital because of allergies. About an hour before that I was waking up from a well-loved afternoon nap and upon waking I felt itchiness on my leg and my knee. I had passed it off as just insect bites since I caught 2 ants on my bed before falling asleep (proof that my brother had probably been eating in my room). When I got up and walked down to the living room, the itchiness did not go away and I soon found more rashes and hives on my tummy, upper leg, arms and back. A few more minutes into my itching frenzy, I experienced heaviness on my chest and shortness of breath. That's when I knew I had to haul ass and get to an ER quick.
While it's all well and good for me to share with you things that can prettify you I experienced a burden for me to share this as well as it can be a matter of life and death if you are unaware of how an allergic attack progresses.
An allergy attack or hypersensitivity reaction can manifest at any age. If you've never had one before, don't think that you're safe just cos you're already 35 and you've had seafood all your life. I used to not be allergic to MSG. I remember when I was younger I would pat my finger on the cover of the MSG bottle and lick it and I would develop no reaction whatsoever. My first allergy attack came when I was in grade 5 and I had been keeping away from MSG ever since. When we are older and we develop a hypersensitivity reaction to a certain type of food that may mean that your consumption of that food triggered your body's attack system. Imagine that, for example your family is allergic to chicken and you're the only who isn't. If you keep eating chicken your body will eventually remember that it despises chicken and later on when you try to eat chicken again that's when you'll have a reaction.
Now what are the factors that tell you that what you're experiencing is a reaction? The first thing that you will feel is itchiness. In the beginning, only in a localized area. Just on your knee or just your arm or just your neck. Later on the itchiness will spread and you will feel it even on the top of your head like there are tiny lice walking around and biting. With the itchiness comes the appearance of hives. Hives are swollen, pale red bumps or plaques. They are the raised, usually round, skin you get when you are bit by insects. First they come in small bumps and as the reaction progresses they grow bigger and bigger until they come together into one big hive. Think all the countries coming together again to form Pangaea (and that's the most animated way I can explain it). Sometimes, if you don't experience hives on the surface of your skin you will feel it beneath the skin. This is called angioedema when there is deep swelling around your eyes and lips or sometimes your genitals, hands and feet. The mere sight of this can send you running to the nearest hospital. Now these two are not the end of this experience, they are actually just opening acts for the main performer which is (drum roll please) - anaphylaxis. An anaphylactic shock is a severe allergic reaction that can happen very rapidly and can be deadly. You will experience difficulty breathing and swallowing due to swelling in your throat that may completely block your airway. You may also experience tightness of chest with palpitations, cough, vomiting and mental confusion. Whilst these symptoms are happening you should already be well on your way to the nearest ER. I cannot stress enough how fast this can all happen.
So what do you do in the event that the first symptom, which is itchiness, starts to happen. First, I would advise you to sit down and really feel what your body is going through. When you find rashes on your extremities, have someone check your back and your tummy. If there is allover pale redness and swelling, go to the hospital immediately. If there is no swelling, try to feel your breathing. Has it gotten heavier in the past few minutes? Do your ears feel swollen and hot? Do you create a wheezing sound every time you try to inhale? If you answer yes to this, get up and go.
If you're already on your way to the ER remember to relax and keep calm. Anxiety can only worsen your symptoms as it can make your hear beat faster and your breathing more staggered. Upon arriving at the ER inform your nurse immediately if you have trouble breathing so they can address this problem first. A shot of anti-allergy medication and sometimes steroids or epinephrine should do the trick. Oh and don't forget to inform your medical attendant of any other allergies you are aware of.
So there... I'm glad we had this talk. :)
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